tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245501012008-05-12T17:33:19.506-07:00TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-49509835086681739802008-05-12T14:00:00.000-07:002008-05-12T17:33:19.617-07:00

There's a particularly good bloom of arrowleaf balsamroot this spring, at least in areas of southern Idaho where the snow has melted. These beautiful yellow wildflowers--members of the sunflower family, are common on dry hillsides throughout the Rocky Mountain West. There are so many flowers this year that many hillsides shimmer with a golden hue from a distance: It only took me a few minutes

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-28912735292363723762008-05-05T12:01:00.000-07:002008-05-05T12:23:26.702-07:00

From an aquaculture standpoint, tilapia has much to recommend it: As adults, they're vegetarians, so they require low energy inputs to raise. They are easily raised even in urban tanks, so food production can occur in areas that are already developed rather than degrading natural areas. And they can even be fed vegetable compost, turning household scraps into more food, or even a livelihood.

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-77108181692775737082008-04-28T12:48:00.000-07:002008-04-28T13:36:42.067-07:00

The Nature Conservancy's Hells Canyon staff is used to unusual working conditions. This is, after all, a canyon that caused Lewis and Clark to make a detour. To find non-native weeds, they're often sitting in a helicopter as it goes 40 miles per hour just above the ground, while zipping in and out of side canyons--a difficult test for even the toughest of stomachs. The seasonal staff are often on

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-30568255607281641822008-04-21T12:07:00.000-07:002008-04-25T15:08:53.656-07:00

All photos courtesy of Tom Grey. Perhaps no birds are more rewarding for the beginning birder to identify and watch than ducks. They're fairly large and the drakes are colorful, making them easier to locate in a field guide than, say, warblers or sparrows. They're perfect for learning birding skills such as identifying species by call (not all ducks quack), or in flight (a good birder or duck

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-84659377215197013592008-04-14T09:32:00.000-07:002008-04-15T08:41:44.936-07:00

Last year, The Nature Conservancy completed a restoration project on its Flat Ranch Preserve (located 15 miles west of West Yellowstone), to reduce river sediments in the Henry’s Lake Outlet. These sediments clog up rivers and reservoirs, and were recognized as one of the greatest threats to spawning trout in the famous Henry’s Fork. The Conservancy and the Henry’s Fork Foundation took an

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-55551261257072945312008-04-07T15:05:00.000-07:002008-04-07T15:59:47.942-07:00

Spring migration: thousands of snow geese landing in wetlands, sandhill cranes calling overhead, raptors appearing at their spring nesting spots in Idaho canyons. Keep your eyes open, and you never know where you might see migrating birds. Recently, I heard the loud, excited twittering of birds just across the street from The Nature Conservancy's office in downtown Boise. A look into the trees

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-1048136761192366912008-04-02T15:39:00.000-07:002008-04-02T15:49:31.996-07:00

How do you know its spring at Silver Creek? Even though it snowed on Saturday and the road was impassible, I knew it was spring. The first real sign--- the sandhill cranes are back! Their haunting song is heard throughout the day and if you look hard enough, you can see them riding the wind currents high in the sky. The next sign---the moose have re-emerged and have been nibbling the buds on

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-12747139726659330152008-03-31T12:16:00.000-07:002008-03-31T15:27:08.459-07:00

The Nature Conservancy film Fish and Cow is just one of the offering in Patagonia's Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, coming to Boise this Saturday, April 5 at the Boise Center on the Grove, with a 1 pm matinee and an evening show at 6:30 pm. The festival benefits the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley, an organization dedicated to conserving the natural, scenic, recreational,

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-3551001537955358612008-03-24T11:56:00.000-07:002008-03-24T12:25:22.215-07:00

Who couldn't love a sea lion? Whether they're lounging around, or engaged in their entertaining antics, sea lions are known crowd pleasers. Last week at San Francisco's Pier 39, I saw tourists from around the world photograph, watch and laugh at these playful animals. A bit farther to the north, in Washington and Oregon, the sea lions have not been receiving such a warm reception. Here,

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-72884713306913316412008-03-18T14:23:00.001-07:002008-03-18T16:13:12.750-07:00

Idaho has the highest density of badgers on earth, but badgers are often in their dens (or digging new ones), and thus can be quite difficult to spot. Most people don’t think about badgers much. As the old saying goes: out of sight, out of mind. That’s why badgers are lucky to have a new booster in Idaho Falls: Tennyson Miller (no relation), who has been spending the last few weeks learning

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-57045240898436247402008-03-12T09:27:00.001-07:002008-03-12T09:39:16.959-07:00

Earlier this week, I wrote about the small brook trout ocasionally caught in Silver Creek--and wondered how they survived with so many brown trout. Former Silver Creek Preserve intern Morgan Buckert read the blog and sent me this photo of a brook trout she caught in Silver Creek this fall. This is far larger than any brook trout I imagined living in Silver Creek. Indeed, this one is a trophy

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-48836910508320855342008-03-10T12:33:00.001-07:002008-03-10T13:02:31.471-07:00

Back east, brook trout bring to mind specific scenes: clear, cold running streams, hemlock forests, mountain laurel, Appalachian breezes. But brook trout haven't had an easy time of it in their native habitat. Water pollution, acid rain and the loss of hemlock forests have all proved devastating to this colorful fish. So too have introduced species: brown and rainbow trout introduced by anglers

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-49067062495712283592008-03-03T12:11:00.000-08:002008-03-03T12:25:11.698-08:00

From the parking lot, Box Canyon State Park admittedly doesn't look like much. It's a flat stretch of sagebrush surrounded by farms in the Magic Valley. At first glance, it looks pretty unremarkable. But walk about a mile along the trail, and hidden treasures await: soaring eagles, rugged canyon terrain and aqua-blue waters that recall the Caribbean. The aqua-blue waters are part of the

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-49193828041555212262008-02-25T12:06:00.000-08:002008-02-25T12:47:41.481-08:00

How often have you seen a cat stalking your bird feeder? If your yard is anything like mine, it's probably a fairly frequent sight. With many songbird species in decline across North America, you may have also wondered if those cats are contributing to the loss of bird life. Americans love their pets, and obviously nobody wants to believe their beloved cat is a conservation threat. In truth,

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-13844489676509832172008-02-19T09:54:00.001-08:002008-02-20T09:59:08.820-08:00

Last night, I enjoyed a dinner of halibut in a white wine/tomato sauce--a belated Valentine's Day dinner. As I think about it, some of my most memorable meals over the years have involved fish or seafood. Smoked salmon, grilled trout, steamed mussels, clam chowder, sushi--all would make the short list of favorite foods. Like millions of people around the world, I love eating these meals that

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-9766049212813894262008-02-11T11:06:00.000-08:002008-02-11T11:49:47.204-08:00

This coming weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count, where people can count birds in their backyards (or other favorite areas) , creating a real-time snapshot of what birds are across the continent. Such "citizen science" can play an important role in bird conservation--providing indicators of species declines or range expansion. You only need 15 minutes. Learn how to participate. If you're

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-48181147949054346652008-02-04T12:28:00.000-08:002008-02-04T14:48:04.082-08:00

In addition to pursuing one of the world's oldest sports, falconers have been responsible for some of the greatest wildlife conservation success stories. Recently, The Nature Conservancy's Sus Danner joined falconers in eastern Idaho for a day afield. This is her report: Recently I visited eastern Idaho with Jan Peppler, our Director of Philanthropy, to tag along with some friends on a hunting

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-28790576342821059132008-01-31T09:06:00.000-08:002008-01-31T10:02:40.158-08:00

Silver Creek Crawford and Blumenstein internships available for 2008. Silver Creek offers two internships during the summer months. Both of these internships were established in the hopes of providing an, “experience that could be instrumental in influencing the professional path of a student, or for whom such an experience might spark a life-long interest in the environment and conservation."

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-6403075668092101182008-01-28T09:38:00.000-08:002008-01-28T09:41:56.994-08:00

In the past 24 hours, 18 inches of snow has fallen in the Wood River Valley. The power is out at Silver Creek Preserve due to blasting wind and drifting snow. In North Idaho, 14 new inches of powder covers the ground, and East Idaho is experiencing a white-out. Even those of us who live in Boise were greeted by snow and ice this morning. Chances are, if you’re in Idaho today, you’re

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-36439299367088309812008-01-28T09:22:00.000-08:002008-01-28T09:29:59.501-08:00

Is a whale a fish? Every school child knows the answer to this one. It’s common knowledge, right? A whale is not a fish; it’s a mammal. However, in the early 1800’s this was a hotly contested question, as recounted in science historian D. Graham Burnett’s recently published book, Trying Leviathan. In New York City, in fact, this question was put to trial. A law requiring all barrels of fish oil

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-30509896331284529002008-01-22T10:54:00.000-08:002008-01-22T11:10:02.846-08:00

When a friend recently moved to Caldwell, west of Boise, his friendly new neighbors told him how they used to cross-country ski from their neighborhood to the downtown. Apparently, skiing downtown used to be something that Caldwell residents could count on in the winter. Upon hearing this, did my friend run out and buy cross-country skis in anticipation? Is the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-38546353301332074732008-01-14T08:49:00.000-08:002008-01-14T12:33:38.508-08:00

Big trout have been in the news a lot lately. Near the end of 2007, 16-year-old Jake Cecil landed an estimated 23-pound rainbow trout in the Boise River. If Jake hadn't gutted the fish, it would likely have been the new state record. Earlier in the year, a new Idaho state brown trout record (above), was set when Wes Case caught this 37-inch, 27.3 pound fish in the Ashton Reservoir of eastern

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-77613356710829753492008-01-07T09:47:00.001-08:002008-01-10T12:13:25.174-08:00

Eagles everywhere: Iowa may be known for its cornfields, but during my holiday travels to my in-laws' farm in the northeast corner of the state, it was the bald eagles that held my interest. Literally every excursion outside yielded multiple sightings of this beautiful bird. Just a couple of decades ago, seeing an eagle anywhere was an exciting event. By the 1960's, the population in the

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-89603691744900251892007-12-27T08:20:00.000-08:002007-12-27T08:36:14.811-08:00

Silver Creek is wonderful in the winter!! Birding on Snowshoes- hosted by the ERC (please call 726-4333 to sign up) Saturday January 19, Saturday February 23, 2008 10 am- 2 pm An adventure viewing birds in the Silver Creek area. Carpools meet at the Hailey Park and Ride at the corner of River Street and Bullion st. Free to ERC members Donation to ERC

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24550101.post-15208202808371585392007-12-22T12:59:00.000-08:002007-12-22T13:04:24.031-08:00

Visitor on a nature walk. Looking at insects!! We had a very busy year at Silver Creek Preserve this year! We had visitors from every state as well as international visitors from: Canada, Chile, France, Austria, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, and the United Kingdom. We had kids from Bellevue, Hailey, and Hemingway elementary as well as

TNC-Idahohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334998898526227037noreply@blogger.com